The present invention claims priority on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/244,929 filed Sep. 23, 2009 which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to devices for increasing fuel efficiency with proportional harmful emission reductions and greater driving safety by deflecting and otherwise altering the airflow underneath the body or carriage of a box van trailer, flat bed, truck trailer rig, box truck, or the like.
It is well known that the fuel efficiency of any motor driven vehicle is directly related to the vehicle's aerodynamic structure and/or shape and the amount of air turbulence caused by the movement of the vehicle. The greater the air turbulence created by the vehicle and its aerodynamic performance during head on and cross winds, the greater the resistance, and the more fuel required to move the vehicle. In today's economy, fuel efficiency and reduction of harmful emissions are of major concerns and are particularly relevant when considered in terms of large tractor trailers, or other box-like trucks, used for transporting goods wherein the cost of fuel consumed moving the goods directly affects the market price of the goods.
As the trailer of a large tractor trailer is pulled forward by the tractor, a great deal of turbulence is created at the rear face and underneath the trailer as the moving vehicle disturbs the air. This turbulence results in increased resistance, i.e. drag, to forward movement of the trailer and thus lower fuel efficiency.
Although fuel efficiency and reduction of harmful emissions have become primary concerns in the recent decade because of environmental concerns about harmful emissions and fuel costs, a second major consideration is that of increasing the safety of operation of tractor trailer rigs, particularly from the point of view of safety of other motorists sharing the road with such rigs. A major disadvantage of tractor trailers on the highway is that, unaltered, the turbulent air flow beneath and behind a tractor trailer is generally in a direction transverse to that of the movement of the tractor trailer. This means that in wet or snowy conditions, mist and/or snow is thrown laterally of the trailer causing a vision and turbulence problem for any motorist passing or being passed by the tractor trailer rig.